Thursday, September 28, 2006

The satisfaction of a checked-off list

I know I've mentioned my type-a condition and the many woes it brings to my life. But, today, is not one of them.

Being a little OCD about my lists is a good thing (for once).

Tonight, the Munchkin is spending the night with Nana and Papa (thank you! a million times, thank you!) so last night Munchkin and I packed her bag. I made her a little list of things she needed to pack:
1. After-school play clothes
2. Jammies
3. School clothes for Friday
4. movies for Nana's house
5. toothbrush
6. toothpaste
7. Bear

She picked out her own clothes and packed them in her bag. And then we put the list on her bag so we wouldn't forget to pack Bear the toothbrush and toothpaste this morning, before we left.

We actually got out of the house this morning with ALL items properly packed in the bag, no fuss, no drama and nothing forgotten. Now, granted, if something HAD been forgotten, Nana lives less than 1.5 miles from our house but I think some important seeds were planted. *grin*

So, in the same spirit of renewed organization, I came into work this morning and made a list. (of course) I am very pleased to announce that my newsletter is at the printer, my program for tomorrow night's show is on the copy machine and all I have left on my list for the day is:
1. generate tickets for convention tomorrow
2. update CAC blog
3. clean off my desk (so messy!!)

*sigh* Ah, organization makes my brain feel better. I have been so twitterpated that I've developed temporary ADD. ugh. That stops TODAY. (not the twitterpated part, just the ADD)

Still no word from J. I know he's really busy with work and I have OFFICIALLY decided to stop waiting around for him to call me. K and I are going to see the Guardian tonight, on my night off. I would have gladly spent it with him but he didn't call so he misses out. *evil grin* I'm so rotten. Actually, I know that I haven't made him chase me very much and I know men like the chase so, put on your running shoes, oh object of my twitterpation, because the chase is on. *giggle*

I have never been very good at keeping my cards close to my vest (or however that phrase goes) because I am a very black and white person. I despise deception and prefer to say what I think and feel rather than play cat and mouse. *sigh* It sometimes leads to jumping ahead of myself. So, I take a good deep breath, remember that too much twitterpation is bad for the nervous system, get focused on the job at hand and get back to work. He knows how to find me and I feel fairly confident that he will. Afterall, what's not to like? He's said as much!

Anyway, my friends, my little break is over and I must, after all, get back to my list.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Tired

I have decided that I am more tired RIGHT NOW than I EVER was during King & I.

I think fridaynightgirl needs a vacation. So, here is my meme for Monday:

If money and time were no object, where would you go on vacation? For how long? What would you do?

I would love to see Egypt, to wander in the Valley of the Kings and to touch the mighty pyramids of Giza with my own hands.

and

I want to see the land of my ancestors, Scotland.

and

To roam around Europe at my own pace.

and

To visit India. To climb the steps of the ancient temples.

and

To visit China and Japan. To see the Forbidden City.

I guess I would need a few years to do that, huh?

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. Post your answer in your blog and then post a comment here, so I can come and visit you.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Saturdays are for Shopping!

Well, browsing, mostly (but browsing doesn't start with S so that would have messed up my alliteration).

Slept in this morning. Took some NyQuil last night because I was getting a sore throat and my ears were hurting. Never a good sign. This garbage that rolled in on the storm clouds two days and have set up residency has REALLY irritated my sinuses. Either that, or stuffy noses and sore throats are a side effect of being twitterpated. *grin*

We're going to Garden Ridge later today. WHEE!! My all-time favorite store. I would say that Restoration Hardware, Williams-Sonoma and Barnes & Noble all run pretty close with Garden Ridge, but I can't afford most of their inventory, so they are just for browsing.

I feel better today. Maybe NyQuil is good for being twitterpated too. *scratching head* I'm really trying to relax. So, K, Munchkin & I are going to Round Rock to shop for some Autumn-y things to put in the house.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Even Now

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


I can remember the heartstopping disbelief as my (now ex) husband and I were driving north to visit his relatives in Canada and we heard the terrible news. What if....If only....

As I kissed my daughter this morning before I dropped her off at preschool, I thought to myself for what has to be the millionth time, "Thank you God."

We had driven to New Jersey for a visit with the family. What a fun trip. We crossed the country, headed east from Texas. We stopped in Nashville on Saturday and then got up Sunday morning and drove to Washington D.C. I had never been to D.C. so I was as excited as a little kid. We stayed in a beautiful hotel less than six blocks from the Capitol.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I can remember the Korean War Memorial. Walking through that grassy space and those slightly oversized soldiers sent chills down my spine. I have always been the kind of person to choke up at a really beautiful performance of the National Anthem and the Posting of the Colors brings tears every time. So you can imagine seeing the reminders in our Nation's capital was a little overwhelming.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

We talked about staying in D.C. another day, as the White House doesn't do tours on Mondays but decided to go on to New Jersey. On the way out of town, traffic was so bad headed straight north that we went around the city. We had the chance to see the Pentagon and I took a picture from the car. I can remember pouting a little because there were so many things that I wanted to see and wishing that we'd decided to stay another day. Why rush on to New Jersey? We were about to spend two weeks with the family. Who knew when we'd get back to D.C.?

But we pressed on.

Typically, we have taken the day after we arrived in New Jersey to go into New York and do the tourist thing. My ex-husband hates the City. I imagine it would be a little like if we went into Dallas with someone that had never been out of their little hometown. It would be really neat and big and new and novel to them, but we'd be bored because it is so familiar. But, I was a complete tourist, in love with all of the places I'd seen in the movies. Anyway, we always took the train into NYC and started at Penn Station in Uptown Manhattan. Manhattan is so big, though, that we never made it to the places in Lower Manhattan (like the Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center) before it was time for us to leave. So, we had decided to go into NYC the next time and start at the World Trade Center and work our way up. That was the plan.

Tuesday morning (9/11), we woke up and decided to forgo the NYC trip and go on to Canada to visit with the relatives in Montreal. So, we piled in our Tahoe and headed north (again), at around 7:30am.

We were listening to music CDs and didn't hear the inital news. Inbetween switching out CDs though, we heard Howard Stern sounding VERY serious so that (naturally) caught our attention. We were listening as the second plane hit the south tower, when the plane hit the Pentagon and then when the towers collapsed. To not be able to see but only imagine such a horrifying event was beyond awful. I can still remember my ex looking at me and saying, "this was not an accident." He looked at me and said, "they are going to close the borders." We drove about 9o mph the rest of the way to the border and, sure enough, we were one of the last people through before they closed the borders. Only once we arrived at the home of family did we see the carnage that was taking place in New York, Washington and in a grassy field in Pennsylvania.

All day, we watched the horror over and over, unable to tear ourselves away from those horrible pictures on the news.

Then, I remembered. We should have been there. My entire family thought my ex and I had gone into New York City that morning. They knew how excited I was about seeing the World Trade Center and they hadn't heard from me. After a few frantic calls and lots of reassurance that we were "safe" - the magnitude began to truly hit me.

If we had done what we had always done and what we had, until 7:00 that morning, planned to do, my ex and I should have been in the World Trade Center at 9am on September 11. Thank God for changed minds.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

As we drove back from Canada on the 15th, we were numb from all of the news coverage. We wanted to go home, to Texas. We saw something incredible - American Flags - EVERYWHERE. You couldn't find a flag in any store because they had all sold out. In the four days that we'd been in Canada, there wasn't a flag left to buy on the East Coast. They were on every house, shop, car, overpass - you name it. It was awe inspiring. As we drove West on the way home, it was like that the entire way.

Now, five years have gone by and a lot of that feeling of unity and patriotism has dulled back to pre-9/11 days. But I still remember. I will always remember and be thankful that we changed our mind and our plans and, perhaps, it saved our lives that day.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Friday, September 8, 2006

Hello world!

Welcome to Wordpress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

My First Everyday Things Entry

"If you want any one thing too much it's likely to disappoint. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk..."-- Augustus McCrae-"Lonesome Dove"

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


Ok Jules, I'm throwing in my $.02. (you have such a fun blog!) My everyday thing today is singing.

Yes, I have lots of training in opera and, at one time in my young life, believed myself destined for the great stages. Alas, the desire to make a stable living and have a home and family was stronger. *grin*

I have loved to sing all my life. My mother tells that I started singing before I could speak a full sentence and I believe her (my daughter did the same thing!). I love to sing. When I am sad, I can sing my sorrow. When I am happy, I can sing my heart's delight. Song is the perfect way to express what, sometimes, words fail to completely grasp.

I took this gift for granted until I met a woman who had, in her youth, been a great singer. In her early 40s, though, she developed cancer on her vocal chords. The only way to save her life was to surgically remove her chords. Her song was forever silenced. The sorrow etched in the face of this woman who had once, like me, experienced the true power and joy of song and had it stripped away from her was enough to change me. Never again did I take for granted the simple ability to open my mouth and let my heart pour out.

Thursday, September 7, 2006

Golly! It's a Sign!!

So, you can see that I've really decided to do some brain shrinking activities tonight. *grin*

The next genius-in-the-making quiz is "What's Your 20s Name?"

Your 1920's Name is:
Amalia Isabella


That just also happens to be the name of the lead female (I don't know about the Isabella part) in She Loves Me - the role over which I've been drooling since the end of King & I!! WOW! How groovy is that?!?

(It's fate!)

The All Important Question

"What Kind of Cookie are You?"

It piqued my curiosity - ok, I'll bite - what kind of cookie am I?



You Are a Jam Cookie

On the outside, you project a straight-laced, innocent vibe.
But on the inside, you're complex, exotic, and full of flavor.

*giggle* That is rather accurate, actually...

Tuesday, September 5, 2006

What a Terrific Idea!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting





I, fridaynightgirl, by virtue of being a mommy of a stunning little girl (who will be four tomorrow) am in wholehearted agreement with the Moms for Modesty Mission Statement.



Wading through t-shirts that say "Flirt" or "Bad Girl" to find something that I wouldn't mind my pastor seeing on my Munchkin is already getting difficult. I truly feel sorry for mothers of 'tween and teen girls, although I can't imagine that it will be any easier once mine gets there *gulp*.



Having said all this, let me relay for you here the mission statement of Moms for Modesty.
  • As a Mom or Dad for Modesty I believe in common-sense modesty for girls and young women.

  • I believe in refraining from sexualizing our girls and young women.

  • I believe that it is unwise and unfair to taunt boys and young men by permitting my daughter(s) to dress in an immodest manner.

  • I believe that true beauty comes from within and I strive to teach my daughter(s) this truth.

  • I will loyally shop at retailers that provide girls' and young womens clothing that is modest, affordable and stylish.
If you agree with this, I urge you to go over to Everyday Mom and tell Jules you think so! To take it one step further, please feel free to post your feelings on your own blog but be sure to link it back to Jules so it will have the maximum impact.

Monday, September 4, 2006

Wishful Thinking

Munchkin woke up, bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6:15 this morning, all traces of illness gone. I just love little kids - they shake sickness off like a bad outfit.

She crawled up in bed with me and snuggled for a few minutes. Then, she got herself dressed in a very green outfit (two different shades of green, mind you) and we went outside to enjoy a few minutes of "cool" air. She played on her swing, ran around in the grass and pulled her wagon all over the yard, picking up sticks and deciding what they were (hammer, christmas tree, baton, etc).

Then, we decided the Humpty Dumpties were on the menu for breakfast but that we needed some new bread. So, we hopped in the car and were off to WalMart for a quick morning outing. On the way home, we stopped by Nana & Papa's house for a cup of coffee (mommy) and a cup of milk (Munchkin).

Later on this morning, we headed back to WalMart where Munchkin unenthusiastically cooperated for her birthday pictures with a less than impressive "photographer."

*mommy aside - I know I sound harsh but I realized about 15 minutes into the "session" that I could do a better job at home, with my camera. The photographer didn't connect with Munchkin and, conversely, received a bunch of half-hearted or fake smiles. It took FOREVER.*

Ok, so we came back to the house, where Munchkin served up a delighful tea party with mommy and baby Emily (her babydoll) as guests.

After some miscellaneous play, we are now waiting for our lunch to be ready.

The point of cataloging our day thus far was to journal my own amazement about how much we've done in the six hours she's been awake and how much (and how deeply) I miss being home fulltime with her. Sure, she's exasperating. She's bullheaded (gets that from me) and opinionated and downright bossy sometimes (again, from me) but she's also delightful. She's brilliant and affectionate and ... well, let's just say this. Today, I am feeling sorry for myself. Thankful that I get days off that I can spend with her like today, but still a little sad that I have to take them when I get them.

For the first time in two years, I'm not blaming anybody or saying, "if only..." but just remembering..

Sunday, September 3, 2006

Acceptance Is Groovy!




I've been added to the Blog Roll over at Blogging Chicks! Thanks, gals! There are some really great blogs on this list - more than I may ever have time to read!


Didn't do much today - Munchkin was feeling under the weather. She woke up with a fever and pretty much stayed pitiful for the rest of the day. The bad side of that is that I'm not allowed 15 inches away from her without her express permission but the upside is that she's really snuggly (something she won't sit still for at any other time). Poor baby.


I just went in and checked on her and she seems to be sleeping soundly and her fever seems to be (finally) gone.


Now, I'm going to go in the living room (our most underutilized room) and watch a movie that does NOT have singing cucumbers, tomatoes, peas OR asparagus in it. God Bless Veggietales but ENOUGH already!!!


I will never watch Lord of the Rings quite the same again after watching Lord of the Beans. Earacorn, Legolamb and Randalf team up with Toto Baggypants to figure out what the mysterious gift of the Bean of Power means. They are chased by dangerous Sporks, utensils of Scaryman. It's a hilarious movie for all grownups. Munchkin liked it alot, but it was those of us who adore Lord of the Rings that really went to town.
Ah, now THAT is quality children's entertainment.